GPS has become a commonplace feature in vehicles and mobile devices – and use of GPS technology has become second nature to many people. So much so, that we can follow the GPS even if ‘real world’ evidence tells us that it’s wrong – there are numerous cases of people driving onto railway lines or over non-existent bridges because they were following GPS instructions without noting their own surroundings.

using laptop in carScientists are also warning about over-reliance on GPS, and highlighting that the technology is not infallible:

  • GPS signals can be deliberately jammed or overridden
  • GPS signals are weak and can be unintentionally blocked or distorted by nearby devices, such as jammers and  TV transmitters and can be affected by natural phenomena such as sunspots
  • GPS reception can be patchy in built-up areas and in covered/underground working environments
  • GPS dropouts and interference occur a lot more often than people think
  • Prevalence of GPS has led to the retirement of traditional ‘back-up’ navigation systems, leading to potential ‘single point of failure’ scenarios

Most of the current technology solutions addressing computer use in vehicles (to conform with distracted driving legislation and OH&S requirements) rely on GPS to determine whether a vehicle is in motion. As can be seen from the points above, and from articles such as this one, this can be a flawed approach, depending as it does on GPS. 

At Blank-IT, we developed our own technology to determine and monitor vehicle motion. This motion-sensor technology overcomes the issues and failings associated with GPS – it provides a consistent, reliable and accurate means of detecting vehicle motion in a totally independent manner, without reliance on third-party input.

What’s more, Blank-IT:

  • is fully customisable to allow different movement thresholds to be set for different working environments
  • is happy to work with ‘swingaway’ brackets, where the computer can be used by a passenger
  • can be configured to allow access to ‘legally allowable’ programs such as reversing cameras and dispatch systems     

This, along with many more features, makes us confident that Blank-IT is by far the best way to manage in-car computer use and to address distracted driving laws and occupational health and safety requirements – for vehicle fleets of all types and sizes.

To find out more about the Blank-IT distracted driving solution, visit the Blank-IT website or call us on 08 9486 7122 (if calling from outside Australia: +61 8 9486 7122).